Since the implementation of the visa-free travel regime between Georgia and the European Union in March 2017, remittances from EU countries to Georgia have more than tripled, highlighting the economic significance of the policy.
According to the latest data, Georgian citizens received over $764 million in remittances from EU countries in the first half of 2025 alone. This continues a steady upward trend that began in 2017, the year visa-free travel to the Schengen Area was introduced for Georgian passport holders.
In 2017, the volume of remittances from the EU stood at $414 million. By 2024, that number had soared to $1.4 billion, marking a 238% increase over seven years. The EU’s share of total remittances has also risen—from 30% in 2017 to 43% in 2024, underlining the growing role of the bloc in Georgia’s remittance landscape.
Yearly Breakdown of EU Remittances to Georgia:
- 2017 – $414.1 million
- 2018 – $534 million
- 2019 – $647.1 million
- 2020 – $763.5 million
- 2021 – $955.6 million
- 2022 – $1.1 billion
- 2023 – $1.3 billion
- 2024 – $1.4 billion
The future of the visa-free arrangement has come into question following a July 15 warning from the European Commission. In a formal communication, the Commission reminded Georgian authorities that visa liberalization is a privilege, not a right, and may be suspended if the benchmarks outlined in the December 2024 Visa Liberalization Report are not fully met by the end of August 2025.
